


ten years of cadnis

by Whyyyyy



Category: Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe, Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:55:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26994019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whyyyyy/pseuds/Whyyyyy
Summary: a oneshot per (fictional) year.
Relationships: Cady Heron & Damian Hubbard & Janis Sarkisian, Cady Heron/Janis Sarkisian, Damian Hubbard & Janis Sarkisian, Damian Hubbard/Aaron Samuels, Heather McNamara/Veronica Sawyer, Regina George & Janis Sarkisian
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

**September 1st, 2010**

The first time Janis saw Cady was the first day of junior year. She was leaning against her locker, chatting with Damian, when she spotted a mane of red hair and a flannel shirt through the crowd of students mingling before class. 

"Damian," Janis said slowly, eyes tracking the other girl as she made her way through the hall. "Who's that?"

Damian followed her gaze. "Oh, I think that's the new girl. Cady Heron? Or maybe it was Caddy..."

"Huh," Janis tore her eyes away. "She's cute." Damian's eyes widened, and Janis immediately regretted the words.

"Oooh," Damian teased. "Does someone have a crush?"

"No!" Janis said, a little too quickly and a little too loudly. Damian waggled his eyebrows at her. Janis opened her mouth to say something along the lines of _fuck you,_ but was interrupted by the bell.

"Saved by the bell," Damian murmured in her ear, dodging her fist as it came flying at his shoulder. "Hurry up, we're gonna be late for French."

* * *

Janis did not absorb a single thing that Madame Simone said during French. She was too busy staring at the back of the new girl's head. The girl - Cady, Janis remembered - didn't speak much during class, but when she did, she used a small, melodic voice that had Janis one hundred percent gay pining by the end of the period. 

So naturally, when she saw Cady heading for the girl's bathroom during lunch looking upset, she followed her, Damian at her heels, armed with sarcasm.

"And you reeeeally don't have a crush, huh?" He was saying as Janis opened the door, shooting him a _shut up now_ look over her shoulder. She pointed wordlessly to the handicapped stall, where she could see a pair of Birkenstocks peeking under the door. Damian took up one side of the door while Janis took the other.

"You've been in there for a very long time," Damian called, rapping on the door with his knuckles. "You're either doing drugs or very constipated from using drugs."

 _Really?_ Janis mouthed at him as the door swung open. He shrugged.

"I'm not doing drugs, I-" Cady burst out of the stall, looking panicked.

"Relax, Caddy, he was kidding."

"Oh." Cady looked relieved, if a little embarrassed. "Um, it's Cady."

Janis smiled at her. "I'm gonna call you Caddy." Damian raised his eyebrows but stayed quiet for once. Janis was still bitter from his teasing earlier, though, so she added, "I'm Janis, and this is Damian. He's almost too gay to function."

Cady giggled at the look on Damian's face, and Janis's heart melted.

Fueled by a sudden surge of confidence, Janis slung an arm over the shorter girl's shoulders. "Come on, Caddy, let's show you around North Shore High."


	2. Chapter 2

**July 10th, 2011**

"Okay, Janis, truth or dare?" Regina's perfectly glossed lips twisted into a smirk as Janis glared at her.

Cady, Damian, Janis, Aaron, and the ex-plastics were all at Regina's house, and for some reason Janis had let herself be coerced into playing Truth or Dare. That was the second bad idea Janis had had that week - the first had been telling Regina about her crush on Cady. Regina may have been trying to be a better person lately, but that didn't mean that she was above forcing Janis to admit her feelings.

Janis narrowed her eyes at the former queen bee, who smiled back serenely. 

"Dare."

Regina's smile grew, along with the ball of dread in Janis's stomach. 

"Okay... how about you and..." Regina looked around the room, pretending she didn't know exactly what she was doing. _Bitch,_ Janis thought. "Cady! You and Cady have to lock yourselves in the closet for ten minutes."

Damian gave Regina a low five, and Janis pretended not to notice. She turned to Cady, eyebrows raised. Cady shrugged. "Okay. Someone start a timer."

Janis followed her friend into the walk-in closet and shut the door. They were immediately plunged into darkness. Cady made a small sound of surprise as Janis fumbled for a light switch. 

The lights turned on, and Janis found herself staring straight into Cady's green eyes. "Hi," She breathed. 

"Hi," Cady grinned. "So are you gonna tell me why Regina forced us in here?"

"Um, I'd kinda rather not?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, that sucks, because you're telling me anyway." Cady's tone was light and teasing, but the way she was gripping Janis's arm told her that she was one hundred percent serious.

"Do I have to?" Janis whined. Cady gave her a look. "Ugh. Fine." Janis feigned indifference, hoping that Cady couldn't feel her pulse rushing under her fingers. "So. Um. There's this girl, and I'm sort of in love with her."

"Oooh," Cady teased, sounding remarkably like Damian. "Do I know her?"

"Um. Yes." Janis laughed awkwardly. "Anyway, um... Regina kind of found out? And she wanted me to tell you... because I guess she thought you could, like, give me some advice or something?" She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that Cady would buy her lame story.

"Mkay..." Cady said slowly, clearly skeptical. "What's this girl like?"

"Well," Janis said, smiling a little despite herself. "She's funny, and sweet, and super earnest. And kind of nerdy, but in a cute way. She's very energetic, too, and sometimes I wish I could borrow some of that energy. She always throws herself all the way in to whatever she's doing, which can sometimes be a problem, but most of the time is amazing because you know that when you're with her she's giving you everything she has, and..." Janis suddenly remembered who she was talking to and stopped abruptly. 

"And?" Cady prompted, her expression unreadable. 

"And she's, like, really pretty," Janis said softly. A flicker of understanding passed over Cady's face.

"I see," she murmured, and Janis was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing. "Well, Janis, I think the best advice I could give you is to just fucking kiss her already."

Janis's eyes widened. She started to speak, but the look on Cady's face stopped her. "Okay," she whispered. And then, miraculously, she did.

Cady tasted like spearmint gum and happiness, and Janis could have sworn that the earth stopped spinning as soon as their lips met. For a beautiful moment, the world fell away and it was only the two of them.

Then the closet door banged open. 

"Ha! Finally."

Cady and Janis broke apart and turned to see Regina, Damian, Gretchen, Karen, and Aaron grinning at them. 

"Looks like I did you a favor, huh, Sarkisian?" Regina teased, the same stupid smirk reappearing on her face. 

Janis glanced over at Cady. "Well, Regina, that may be so, but it's my turn to ask a question now, and I will certainly not be going easy on you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you catch the dear evan hansen reference? hehe


	3. Chapter 3

**December 10, 2012**

"Caddy. Caddy, wake up."

"Jan, what the fuck?" Cady rolled over to face her girlfriend, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "It's like one am."

"Actually, it's one thirty, and I need your help."

"What could you possibly need my help with at this hour?"

"Homework."

Cady groaned and started to roll back over, but Janis grabbed her shoulder.

"Pleaseee? It's the last big assignment of the semester and I haven't even started."

"That sounds like a you problem." 

"It is! It is a me problem and I need your help to fix it."

"At one am?"

"It's due tomorrow."

"Janis!"

"Sorry! College is harder than I thought it would be," Janis pouted. "Will you please help me?"

Cady looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. "You are so lucky that I love you."

Janis grinned. "Does that mean you'll do it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Cady grumbled, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "What kind of assignment is it?"

"Math," Janis mumbled, making a face. 

"I still don't understand why you decided to take a math course if you hate it so much." 

"Who said I hate math?" Janis frowned. Cady squinted at her in the half-light.

"Um, you? Multiple times a day? Every day since I met you?"

"Well," Janis said defensively, "Maybe I decided to give it another shot."

Cady snorted. "When have you ever given anything another shot?"

"I gave you another shot after you backstabbed me in junior year."

Cady winced. "Ouch. Point taken. Where's your textbook?" Janis bit her lip. Cady narrowed her eyes. "Janis. Where. Is. Your. Textbook."

Janis squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't know?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"Statement?"

Cady tossed her hands up in the air. "Janis! How am I supposed to help you with your math homework if you don't have the problems?"

"I was hoping you'd help me look for it."

Cady put her head in her hands. "I love her, I love her, I love her," she muttered. Janis watched with mild interest.

"What exactly are you doing?"

Cady lifted her head toward the ceiling as though praying. "It's my mantra. I repeat it to myself whenever you're being ridiculous."

Janis squinted at her. "I can't decide whether to be offended or not."

Cady kissed her on the cheek. "Neither, because we're looking for your textbook now. Where was the last place you had it?"

Janis frowned. "Um... the commons? Maybe?" Seeing the look on Cady's face, she added, "I was studying during lunch but I got distracted, and I don't think I remembered to grab it before I went to my next class."

Cady nodded slowly. "Okay. Okay. But aren't the commons closed at night?"

Janis flashed an evil smile. "Come with me."

* * *

"Janis, this is insane," Cady hissed. They were standing at the entrance to the commons, Cady watching as Janis fiddled with the locks on the doors.

"Maybe. But I need that textbook." Janis finished with the locks and turned to Cady, grinning. "Care to do the honors?" She gestured toward the doors. 

"And get my fingerprints all over the handles? No thank you."

Janis rolled her eyes. "No one's gonna care that we broke in. We go to this school, it's not like we're _really_ trespassing."

"I beg to differ."

"Babe, stop worrying so much. We're gonna be fine." Janis kissed Cady's nose lightly. Cady tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. 

"Okay, but we have to be quick." Cady gripped one of the door handles and pulled, and the door swung open easily. "Do I want to know how you learned to pick locks?" She whispered as they slipped inside.

"Probably not." 

Cady nodded. "You take that side, I'll take this one."

There was silence for a few minutes as the girls searched under tables and chairs. Then suddenly, a bright light sliced through the room. 

"Is someone there?" The voice of a security guard rang through the room. Janis stuck her head up from under the table where she'd been looking, meeting Cady's eyes from across the room. Cady's eyes were wide and full of _I told you so'_ s. Janis flicked her gaze to the cafe in the corner next to her and Cady gave a tiny nod. Slowly, the two girls made their way through the maze of tables and crawled behind the counter. 

"Janis Sarkisian, I swear to God if we get caught-" Cady's angry whispers cut off abruptly as the flashlight beam swept the room again, and despite herself she found her hand reaching for Janis's. 

They sat there in the dark as the sound of the security guard's footsteps faded away into the night. 

Janis counted to ten, and when she didn't hear any more noises, she slowly stood back up, pulling Cady with her. 

"Jesus fucking Christ," Janis released a giant breath. "That was terrifying." She glanced over at Cady, who looked utterly shell-shocked. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you into this."

Cady shook her head. "No, that was actually... kinda fun."

Janis raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She shrugged. "I mean, if you don't think about how close we got to being kicked out of college, yeah." 

Janis took a step closer and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist. "Well, I'm glad I didn't traumatize you."

"It would take a lot more than that to traumatize me," Cady teased, threading her arms around Janis's neck. Janis pressed a kiss to her lips. When she pulled away, something caught her eye. 

"Wait a sec," Janis murmured, leaning down under the counter to take a closer look. There, on one of the shelves, sat her math textbook.

"Thank God," Cady murmured from over Janis's shoulder. "Grab it and let's go back to bed."

"I think you're forgetting that I still have to actually do the assignment," Janis reminded her, standing up with the textbook in hand. 

Cady tilted her face up toward the ceiling. "I love her, I love her, I love her..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys hELp i need prompt ideas i did not think this through when i said i'd do ten oneshots


	4. Chapter 4

**August 23rd, 2013**

"I'm not doing it." Janis folded her arms and glared up at the roller coaster as if it had personally offended her. 

Cady rolled her eyes. "Janis, what do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know! No one knows! That's the point!" Janis tossed her hands into the air.

Cady squinted at her. "What?"

"People die on roller coasters, Caddy. I'm not risking it." 

"It's totally safe, Jan. Stop freaking out." Janis opened her mouth to retort, but Cady cut her off with a kiss. "Come on, we only have like a week of summer left. Let's enjoy it."

Janis smiled down at her girlfriend. Then, glancing up at the roller coaster again, she groaned, "do we have to enjoy it in this particular way, though?"

"Yes." Cady took her by the sleeve and dragged her toward the ticket line. "Two tickets, please," She told the bored-looking girl at the counter. 

"Caddy..." Janis whined. 

"Shh, you're fine," Cady told her, smiling sweetly at the ticket girl in response to her judgmental glare. 

"Here you go." The girl slid two tickets across the table at Cady, her voice monotonous. "No refunds."

"Well, with your uplifting energy and fantastic service, why would anyone want a refund?" Cady said brightly. Janis snorted.

"I hate this job," the girl muttered as they walked away. 

As they climbed the steep metal staircase, the ball of dread in Janis's stomach grew larger and larger. By the time they'd reached the top, she was seriously contemplating how far she would get if she ran back down the stairs. 

"I would catch you before you even made it back to the second flight," Cady murmured in her ear, as if she'd read Janis's thoughts. "So don't even think about trying."

Janis scowled at her. "This is homophobia."

Cady cocked her head to one side. "How do you figure that?"

Janis shrugged. "Saying that usually gets me out of stuff I don't wanna do."

"Okay, well, I don't think that works in this scenario."

"It's kidnapping, then."

Cady placed her hands on either side of Janis's face. "First of all, you are twenty years old. I don't think you qualify as a kid anymore. And second, I'm only doing this because I care."

"How do you figure that?" Janis cocked her head to one side, mimicking Cady.

"You need to face your fears, Jan," Cady said lightly, smiling smugly as they reached the front of the line.

"Alright, folks, hop in," said the safety check guy, who looked even more disinterested than the ticket girl, if that was possible. Cady and Janis clambered into the tiny car, Janis mumbling about how flimsy it looked. The guy strapped them in, and Janis's panic intensified.

"Cadyyy," She hissed. Cady glanced at her, surprised at the use of her real name. Upon seeing the look on her girlfriends face, Cady's face softened.

"You're really scared, aren't you," she whispered.

Janis nodded, biting her lip. "I know it's stupid, I-"

"No, Jan, I'm sorry. I should have listened to you. It's too late to change our minds, but I want you to know that I'm right here for you, okay?" Cady squeezed Janis's hand. Janis nodded again. "I love you," Cady brought Janis's hand to her lips and kissed her fingertips.

Janis gave her a small smile. "I love you too." 

There was a great screeching of gears, and the roller coaster was off.

* * *

"Jan? You okay?"

Janis opened one eye, then the other. "Did we die?"

Cady laughed. "I don't think so."

Janis sighed. "Thank god. That would have been a terrible way to go." 

"I'm proud of you," Cady said, kissing her forehead. 

Janis smiled. "Thanks. But since you made me do that, now we are going to the food stand and you're buying me a soft pretzel."

Cady pretended to think about it. "How about I just reward you with kisses instead?"

Janis folded her arms. "Pretzel," she insisted.

"Fine," Cady rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Are you folks getting out anytime soon or can we get the next ride going?" 

Cady turned to glare at the safety check guy. "We're kind of having a moment here."

The guy didn't say anything, just met Cady's indignant glare with one of his own. After a moment, Cady sighed and climbed out of the car, Janis following suit. 

"Lesbians," the guy sighed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry this took forever to write... actually it didn't i just kinda forgot about it for a while... please forgive me my brain cell is not always great at doing its job

**December 25th, 2014**

Janis was jerked awake by a large weight landing on top of her.

"What the fu-" Janis started to say, but she was interrupted by the ball of bisexual crackhead energy sitting on her chest.

"It's Christmas! It's Christmas! Janis, it's Christmas!"

"Okay, I heard you!" Janis gently shoved Cady off of her and sat up, rubbing her eyes. 

Cady was still in her pajamas, her hair up in a messy bun that was slowly falling out of it's hair tie as she wriggled around with excitement. Janis rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. 

"You're insane."

Cady stopped wiggling and raised an eyebrow. "Says the girl who woke me up at two am to break into a school and look for a textbook."

Janis considered this, then nodded. "Okay, that's fair."

Cady hopped off of the bed and held out a hand. "Come on, sleepyhead. We're meeting Damian at the mall in an hour."

Janis frowned, glancing at the clock, which read 7:03 am. "Um. Why?"

"You'll see," Cady insisted, taking Janis by the arm and attempting to drag her out of bed. "But you have to get dressed first." 

Janis tugged back, easily pulling Cady onto the bed with her. "Or we could stay here," she said softly, running a finger down Cady's cheek. For a moment, it seemed like Cady might give in, but then she was up again, taking a grumbling Janis with her.

"We can hang out later," Cady promised as she tossed a bundle of clothes at her. "But right now, there's something you have to see."

* * *

"This better be good," Janis muttered as she followed Cady through the crowded mall. 

"It is, I promise," Cady assured her, taking her hand and leading her toward the Christmas village in the center of the mall.

They stopped on the outskirts of the village, a little ways away from the mall Santa sitting in a sleigh.

"Okay," Cady said. "This is it."

Janis gazed at her, confused. "It's a mall Santa."

"Yeah," Cady said slowly, "But who is that, under the costume?"

Janis squinted at the mall Santa, who was currently handing a small candy cane to the kid sitting on his lap. 

"Ho, ho, ho, one for you, little boy!"

"Oh my God." Janis brought a hand to her mouth. "Is that Damian?"

Cady grinned. "Why yes, it is."

Janis burst out laughing. "Oh my fucking God. That is the best thing I've ever seen."

"I know, right?"

"How did you know he was working here?"

"I was the one who made him do it," Cady said smugly. "We had a bet. He lost."

Janis took out her phone and snapped a picture. "I am never letting him live this down."

Cady laughed. "Merry Christmas, babe."

* * *

"You are such a traitor." Damian glared at Cady, arms folded. "I thought we agreed to keep Janis out of it! Being a mall Santa is humiliating enough without involving her."

Cady shrugged. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

Janis grinned smugly. "Sucks to suck, man."

Damian gave her the finger just as the front door of the Sarkisian's house swung open. 

"Merry Christmas!" Heather and Veronica stood in the doorway, smiling.

"Hey, Moms," Janis hugged Veronica, then Heather.

”Come in, come in,” Heather practically shoved the three of them into her and Veronica’s cozy little living room.

”Make yourselves at home,” Veronica gestured toward the couch. “The others will be here soon.”

As if on cue, the front door banged open.

”What’s up, bitches?” Regina called as she entered the living room, the other ex-plastics and Aaron close on her Louboutin heels.

Heather and Veronica immediately flitted over to greet their newest guests.  
  
“The amount of mom energy in this household is overwhelming,” Damian murmured.

Janis laughed. “I know, right? I thought they were bad in high school. It’s even worse now.”

Cady smiled at her girlfriend. Janis hadn’t had the most ideal childhood; her dad, Jack Sarkisian, had left when she was thirteen, not long after the space dyke debacle, and for a while it had been just Janis and Veronica. Then, when Janis was fifteen, Heather McNamara had showed up on their porch with a suitcase and a love proclamation for Veronica. She’d never left.

“The food will be ready in about ten minutes,” Veronica was saying as Aaron and the Plastics arranged themselves on the Sarkisian’s furniture. Janis couldn’t help but notice that Aaron took the seat next to Damian. Glancing over at her best friend, she raised an eyebrow suspiciously. He flipped her off.

”And let’s give a round of applause to Veronica, who somehow hasn’t burned anything yet,” Heather added. “Emphasis on the ‘yet’”. Veronica rolled her eyes, but took a bow when everyone applauded.

Heather and Veronica wandered into the kitchen to check on the food, leaving the rest of the group to catch up.

"So clearly that's still happening," Regina said, nodding at Janis and Cady, who were all wrapped up in each other's arms. 

"Regina, you saw us less than a month ago. Do you really think we'd have broken up between now and then?" Cady asked, giggling as Janis kissed the top of her head. 

Regina shrugged. "You never know. But I'm more interested in what's happening here," she said, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Damian and Aaron, who both blushed matching shades of red. 

"What do you mean, _what's happening here_?" Damian squeaked. He was met by skeptical glares from all five women in the room.

"Jesus, you guys are scary," Aaron muttered. They all shrugged in perfect unison.

"Okay, okay, fine," Damian said after a long, tense pause. "We've been dating for a month."

The girls all immediately dropped their intense glares in favor of cheering and whispering 'I told you so's to each other. 

"Dinner's ready!" Veronica called, poking her head around the corner. "And congrats to Aaron and Damian," she added with a wink. 

They all gathered in the dining room, where a gigantic meal sat on the table, waiting to be eaten.

"Before everyone sits down," Cady began, grabbing a wine glass and tapping on it lightly. "I'd like to make a toast." She smiled around at her friends - no, her family. "To us."

"To us," Janis echoed, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's waist. 

"To us."


	6. Chapter 6

**July 10th, 2015**

"Janis." 

Janis looked up from her drink to see Damian standing several feet away, holding up his phone. "What do you want?" Janis groaned.

"Cady called. She's worried about you."

Janis scowled into her beer. "Why's that?"

"She said she called you twenty minutes ago to tell you that she couldn't make it to dinner, but your Snapchat icon showed that you were still here."

"She looked me up on Snap map?" Janis raised an eyebrow. "That seems a little... unnecessary, to say the least."

Damian rolled his eyes. "Not the point. Let's just get you home, okay? She'll be off work in an hour or so, and you guys can celebrate your anniversary then."

Janis sighed. "Yeah, okay. I know it's not her fault, she needs the money to finish college, but..."

Damian held out a hand, and Janis took it, sliding off her barstool. 

"I called an Uber, it's waiting outside," Damian said, leading her gently toward the door. 

They piled into the car, Damian helping support Janis as she wobbled a little on her feet.

"Are you drunk?" He asked as he pulled the door shut.

"Maybe a little," Janis mumbled, glaring at Damian when he gave a disappointed head shake. "What? I was at a _bar_."

Damian gave her a searching look. "You were going to do it tonight, weren't you?"

Janis turned to face the window. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't do that."

She sighed, meeting his eyes in the reflection of the dark glass. "Yeah. I was. I'm not going to now, though."

"Why not?"

"She left me at the bar. The mood is officially killed."

"For the love of God, Janis," Damian groaned. "She didn't want to abandon you. You know that. You're just making excuses because you're scared."

"Fuck off."

"I'm just saying, Jan. It's been two weeks. Grow a pair already."

Janis twisted back around to face him, a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, but before she could speak, the Uber driver called back, "We're here."

"Thanks," Damian said, pressing a twenty into the driver's outstretched hand. "Keep the change. You deserve it after having to listen to my child whine for fifteen minutes."

Janis flipped him off, stepping out of the car and slamming the door. 

She trailed after Damian as he hurried up the stairs to her and Cady's apartment. "Slow down," she grumbled as he practically shoved her through the door. "Ow, fuck," she muttered as she stumbled. "Why's it so dark in here?" She reached over and flipped on the light. 

"Surprise!" 

Janis screamed and whirled around to see Cady, Aaron, and the ex-Plastics arranged artfully around the kitchen island. "The fuck is happening?" she squeaked, a hand over her heart. Damian had a hand over his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laughter at the look on her face.

"Hey, babe," Cady said casually. "How are you?"

"Caddy..." Janis gaped at her girlfriend. "This- this is a surprise party?"

Cady giggled and nodded. "Happy anniversary," she said, stepping up to Janis's side and wrapping her arms around her neck. 

Janis stared down at her for a long moment before letting out a small laugh. "Happy anniversary." She kissed Cady firmly on the mouth. 

Regina cleared her throat. "Can we open up the booze now?"

* * *

The room was filled with laughter and chatter as Regina continued to pour drinks for everyone. Damian caught Janis's eye from across the kitchen and mouthed _grow a fucking pair_. Janis flipped him off, but less than a minute later, she found herself standing on a chair and tapping on her wineglass with one of her many rings.

"Hey everyone, I'd like to make a toast," she began. The chatter died down as all eyes turned to Janis. "To Caddy," she continued, nodding at her girlfriend, who smiled back. "For throwing this amazing surprise party. But the thing is," Janis stepped down from the chair and began pacing, speaking conversationally. "Caddy does not hold the monopoly on surprises." Everyone exchanged glances but kept quiet. "You see, a few years ago, I met this girl. And I kind of fell in love with her." Janis made eye contact with Cady, who was clutching her wineglass, looking apprehensive. "And a certain blonde-haired bitch found out and locked me and Cady into a closet together, where I proceeded to tell her about the girl. And Cady's miracle advice, and I quote, was to 'just fucking kiss her already'. So I did, and we've been together ever since." Janis stopped her pacing. "But then, two weeks ago, something happened. A certain group of people decided to stop trying to control the love lives of certain other people." She let her eyes roam over the faces of her friends, all of whom had caught her drift and were in varying states of excitement. "And so I've been thinking, you know, that I'd kind of like to marry this girl that I've been in love with since high school. And I was wondering," Janis pulled the ring box out of her pocket and opened it, sinking to one knee in front of Cady. "I was wondering whether she might feel the same way."

Cady's hand was pressed to her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She didn't look all that surprised, but the look on her face betrayed pure happiness all the same. "This girl," she started, voice breaking. "This girl would _love_ to marry you." She extended a hand, and Janis slipped the ring onto her finger. Cady laced their fingers together, then gave a sharp pull, dragging Janis to her feet and straight into a passionate kiss.

The rest of their party took that as their cue to release all the built up squeals they'd been repressing during Janis's speech. Janis thought she heard Regina shout something about more booze, but it was lost in the chaotic gay happiness radiating off of - well, pretty much every person in the room. 

Janis smiled down at Cady - her beautiful Cady. All through her life, Janis had been fighting to keep her place in the world, confused by rules that seemed to change every day, but here, right now - this felt right. She was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beetlejuice reference hehehehe also wow it's eleven o'clock at night and i'm writing fanfiction HeLp


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for a couple brief homophobia/internalized homophobia mention and the d-slur

**May 8th, 2016**

Janis opened her eyes. Groaning at the bright light streaming through her window, she rolled over to snuggle closer to Cady. But the space beside her was empty. 

"Caddy?" Janis mumbled sleepily, pushing herself into a somewhat upright position and feeling around the spot where her fiancée should be. 

"She's not here," said a voice from the doorway. Janis jumped.

"Jesus Christ," she hissed, glaring at Regina as she gathered her bedsheets closer, suddenly very aware that she had very little clothing on. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Twenty minutes," Regina sighed, examining her nails. "You're a very hard sleeper."

"Where's Cady?" Janis swung her legs over the side of the bed, still holding her sheet close. 

Regina glanced down at the clipboard she held in her hand. "She went to the wedding venue with everyone else to help set up. She wouldn't let us wake you up, so I had to stay here with you until you did on your own."

"So you stood in the doorway and watched me sleep?"

" _No._ I've had a very productive morning planning _your_ wedding. A simple thank you will suffice."

Janis grunted. "Can you leave? I need to get dressed."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Be quick. We're behind schedule as it is." She turned briskly on her heel and shut the door with a click. Janis made a face at the spot where she'd been standing and shuffled over to her closet. Through the walls, she could hear Regina talking to someone on the phone as she banged around in the kitchen. Smiling ruefully to herself, Janis finished getting dressed and picked up her phone from the dresser. There were several notifications displayed on the lock screen. 

From Cady: good morning bby ily so much <333

From Damian: Bitch you better wake up soon idk how much more panicked gretchen i can take

From Veronica: my little baby's getting married!!! also hurry up and get to the venue heather is kinda stressing out and she and gretchen are a formidable duo when they're both anxious

Janis smiled to herself as her phone buzzed with another text.

Regina: Put down your phone and come help me make breakfast.

Janis: how did u know i was looking at my phone

Regina: I know everything. Hurry up, I haven't eaten anything today and if normal Regina annoys you just imagine how awful low-blood-sugar Regina is.

"How come you text in such complete sentences?" Janis asked as she entered the kitchen, where Regina was slicing up an apple.

"How come you don't?" She asked without looking up. 

Janis shrugged. "I'm normal?"

Regina side-eyed her. "Well, that's not true."

"Fair enough. I guess it's just too much work."

Regina dropped a few apple slices onto a plate that was already loaded with food and slid it Janis's way. Janis accepted it. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since six."

Janis's eyes widened. "A.M?"

"No, Janis, six in the evening. Yes, six a.m. I've had a lot of coffee."

"But _why?"_

Regina gave her a look. "Weddings don't just happen. Someone has to plan them."

Janis tilted her head to one side. "So what have Cady and I been doing for the past ten months?"

Regina glared at her. "Can you just shut up and be grateful that I'm helping you and Cady get your shit together for the second time? I seem to recall that you guys wouldn't even be together if it weren't for me."

"You're right, Reggie," Janis said faux-sweetly, moving to Regina's side of the counter and wrapping her arms around the other woman's waist. "Thank you."

Regina stiffened. "What's this?"

"A hug."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I'm trying something."

Regina seemed to contemplate this for a moment before tentatively patting Janis's shoulder. Janis gave her a squeeze before stepping away. Regina gave her a long, searching look, then smiled.

"Alright, Sarkisian, let's go get you married."

* * *

Janis gazed at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a black suit with white accents, and Gretchen had helped her straighten her hair. Janis ran her fingers through the two-toned locks, then shook her head. Her hair had been like this since high school, but now she was entering a new part of her life. Leaving any part of herself the same way that she was before she met Cady seemed wrong. 

There was a pair of scissors on the counter. Janis picked them up and twirled them through her fingers, then set to work. Soon, the floor was covered in bleached blonde strands, and Janis had a solid brown bob. As she admired her newly short hair, there was a knock at the door.

"Janis?" Veronica stuck her head around the door frame. "It's time to- what happened to your hair?"

Janis held up the scissors, smiling sheepishly. "I needed a change."

Veronica raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the mess Janis had created on the floor. "Well, you never were one to do things traditionally. I like it," she added.

"Thanks, Mom."

Veronica beckoned. "Come on, it's time." 

Janis took her mother's hand and allowed herself to be pulled out into the fresh air.

* * *

The music swelled. Janis's heart was pounding as Cady appeared at the beginning of the aisle, flanked by Damian, who had agreed to give her away instead of Cady's parents, who had blatantly refused watch her "marry some dyke". Despite this, Cady radiated happiness as she walked down the aisle and took her spot beside Janis.

"You cut your hair," she murmured to Janis as the minister began his long speech. 

"I did." Janis smirked.

"Any particular reason?"

"I'm a very impulsive person. It's best that you find that out now."

Cady smiled wryly and turned her attention back to the minister. "Trust me, I already know."

"Have you prepared vows?" the minister asked, pretending not to have noticed their side conversation. 

"Obviously," the two women answered at the same time. The minister did his best not to smirk as he gestured for them to begin.

Cady took a deep breath and turned to Janis. "Janis," she began, locking eyes with her fiancée.

"That's me," Janis said softly, and Cady rolled her eyes.

"Pretty sure you're not supposed to interrupt me, but alright."

Janis shrugged. 

"Before I met you, the only people I had ever been exposed to were my parents and the few people in my tiny Kenyan village who didn't speak English and wouldn't have wanted to talk to me even if they did. So imagine my utter amazement when I stepped out of the bathroom stall on that first day of Junior year and saw you in all your emo glory. If I'm being honest, Jan, I've been in love with you since the first time I laid eyes on you. And yes, I'm aware that I dated Aaron for a while before I dated you but that was mostly because of internalized homophobia and we don't need to talk about that right now." 

This elicited a laugh from their audience, and Cady's eyes flicked to Aaron, who was smiling and shaking his head. "Anyway," she continued, fixing her gaze back on Janis. "The point is that... you rocked my world. And I can't imagine my life without you."

Janis didn't bother to wipe away her tears as she began her vows. "Okay, I know you said that we don't need to talk about internalized homophobia today, but I'm going to because it ties into the theme I'm going for. So, as everyone knows, I did not have an easy time in high school, at least not for the first part. Every time I would get a crush on a girl I would tell myself that I was being creepy, or that I didn't deserve love. But you showed me that I do. And I know a lot of other shit happened that wasn't so great but that was a long time ago and what's more important is everything that's happened since. Being with you has made me the happiest I've ever been, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Cady was crying now too, and for a moment it was just the two of them beaming tearfully at each other, the rest of the world falling away. And then the minister was asking each of them if they took the other to be their lawfully wed spouse, and they were saying 'I do', and they were kissing, and the crowd erupted into joyful celebration. As they walked back up the aisle together, Cady wrapped an arm around Janis's waist and whispered am 'I love you' in her ear. Janis leaned her cheek on her wife's head. 

"I love you too," she murmured into Cady's hair. "I really fucking do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy bday to queen barrett!!! here's a compilation video that i did not make but have watched far too many times https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWL8qO-l8NI&t=12s


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ik this doesn't really have much plot but i thought it was cute so here ya go

**September 30th, 2017**

"Where is she?" Janis muttered to Damian, scanning the crowd. 

Damian looked up from his phone. "I'm sure she's around here somewhere."

"God, I hate airports," Janis muttered, leaning sullenly against the wall. 

"Any particular reason, or are you just in a bad mood?"

Janis sighed. "I don't know. I'm just stressed. We've been here for like an hour and there's no sign of Cady."

"Janis, calm down. Everything's fine."

Janis nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm just anxious. And I've missed her."

Damian rolled his eyes. "It's only been a week, you big softie."

Janis glared at him in mock offense. "Excuse me for missing my wife! This is the longest we've been apart since we met!"

"You know, there are going to be more business trips. You're gonna have to adapt."

Janis whacked him on the shoulder. "Shut up."

"Just saying!" he rubbed his shoulder. "Ouch."

"Sorry not sorry."

Damian whacked her back. Janis glared at him, and within seconds they had each other in headlocks, earning quite a few stares from the normal people around.

"Oh, how I've missed seeing my two favorite adults fight like children," said a voice from behind them. Janis immediately released Damian and turned to see Cady smirking at them.

"Caddy!" Janis squealed, throwing her arms around her wife. Cady giggled as Janis lifted her feet off the ground. Setting her down again, Janis leaned her forehead against Cady's. "I missed you," she whispered, as if that was a secret. Cady planted a kiss on her lips. 

"I missed you too."

"Oh, don't mind me, just the guy who drove you here and has been standing loyally by your side for nearly a decade," Damian muttered from behind them.

Janis released Cady and turned to glare at him. "We're having a moment here. And you didn't drive me, we took an Uber."

"That I payed for, you cheap ho."

"Rude!"

"Sorry, sorry, I love you."

"Aw, love you too," Janis tapped his nose.

"I do not understand this relationship," Cady said, watching their exchange. 

Damian shrugged. "I don't either, to be honest."

Cady laughed and gave him a hug. "Nice to see you again, weirdo."

Damian patted the top of her head. "You too, freak."

They began making their way through the crowded terminals to the front of the building, Damian pulling out his phone to call a second Uber. As they walked, Cady slipped under Janis's arm and wrapped her own arm around Janis's waist. 

"So short," Janis teased, squeezing her shoulders. 

"And yet I fit perfectly," Cady said, tucking her head into the space between her wife's shoulder and neck to prove her point.

"You do indeed," Janis murmured, kissing Cady's hair. 

"Come on, lovebirds, let's go!" Damian grabbed Janis's free arm and tugged them out the door of the airport and into the car. "We're doing a traditional movie night," he said, closing the car door behind Cady and Janis and sliding into the front seat. "I decided."

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Janis grumbled as she strapped her seatbelt.

"Yeah, but he's working tonight."

"If I can survive a week without Cady, you can survive a night without Aaron." Janis held out an arm to Cady, who eagerly snuggled into her side.

"You spent most of that week with me, and stop trying to get rid of me. I know y'all want me to go away so you can bang it out but that can wait till after we've watched Beetlejuice."

Cady made a face. "Does it have to be that particular movie though?"

Damian twisted around to glare at her. "Don't you be disrespecting Winona Ryder."

"I wasn't. I just don't like creepy movies."

"It's not that creepy."

"Maybe not by your standards."

Janis tapped Cady's shoulder. "If you get scared, I'll cuddle you."

Cady peered up at her. "You best be cuddling me anyway."

"Fair enough."

Damian glanced at the Uber driver. "I'm sorry you have to listen to this."

The driver laughed. "Trust me, you don't have to apologize. You guys are probably the most interesting people I've driven all day."

"Sounds like an awful job," Janis commented. 

He shrugged. "It's not so bad. This is how I met my boyfriend, so I try to stay positive about it."

"Awww," all three of them said at once. 

The car pulled to a stop in front of Cady and Janis's apartment. Damian passed the driver some cash. "Thanks for the ride, um..."

"Evan," the driver answered. 

"Right. Thanks, Evan."

The three friends clambered out of the car and up the stairs. Janis pulled out her keys, but before she unlocked the door she turned and smiled at Cady and Damian.

"Hey, I love you guys."

They both smiled. "We love you too, Jan," Cady said, squeezing her wife's arm. 

"Always will," Damian added. "Even when you're being an insufferable dickhead."

Janis snorted. "Let's keep this sweet, Damian."

"Copy."

Janis smiled to herself as she slipped her key into the lock.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for homophobia and a panic attack - this chapter is kinda intense, but I thought it would be a good thing to have in here. proceed with caution :-)

**June, 2018**

"You mean it?" Cady looked up at her wife, tears in her eyes.

Janis smiled. "Of course."

Cady buried her face in Janis's shoulder. "I love you," she murmured, the words slightly muffled. 

"I love you too, Caddy."

* * *

A week later, while Janis and Cady were in the middle of a celebratory dinner with Veronica and Heather, the doorbell rang. Janis glanced at Cady, surprised. Cady shrugged and got up to go open the door. Janis glanced at her moms, then got up and followed her wife.

By the time Janis reached the door, Cady had already flung it open and was gaping at the people on the other side. Janis stuck her head around the frame to see a tall, brown haired man standing beside a shorter, business-type looking woman with hair the same color as Cady's. 

Cady swallowed. "Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?"

Cady's parent's glanced at each other. "We, um," Cady's mother began, shifting uncomfortably and stealing a quick glance at Janis. "We saw on your Instagram that you and your... special friend..."

"Wife," Janis corrected quietly. Cady's mom ignored her.

"We saw that you are adopting a baby." 

Cady blinked. "You have Instagram? Actually, more importantly, you stalk _my_ Instagram?"

"Well," Mrs. Heron huffed, "We didn't have much choice after you cut us out. We want to know what's going on in your life."

" _I_ cut _you_ out? You refused to come to my wedding!" 

Janis placed a hand on Cady's back, a gentle warning.

"We haven't always approved of your... choices," Mrs. Heron glanced at Janis again. "Which is what brings us here today."

Cady closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Do I want to know how you found out where we live?"

"Probably not," Mr. Heron admitted. 

Cady opened her eyes. "Okay," she said, speaking more to herself than to them. 

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" Mrs. Heron tapped her toe against the ground impatiently. 

"Are you fucking kidding me? Of course not!" Cady exploded.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't owe you anything!" Cady fumbled for Janis's hand and squeezed it tightly. 

Heather and Veronica appeared behind Janis, matching expressions of concern etched onto their faces. "What's going on out here?"

Mrs. Heron frowned at them. "Who are these people?"

" _These people_ are Janis's moms," Cady said tersely. 

"Oh," Mrs. Heron said, more judgement packed into that single syllable than Janis had thought was possible. 

"I'm Veronica, and this is Heather," Veronica said, her tone sickeningly sweet, but Janis could sense the underlying rage behind her mother's politeness.

"I see," Mrs. Heron gave both women a once over, then added, "So you must be Janis's real mom, then."

Cady was gripping Janis's hand so tightly now that Janis was afraid the bones would shatter. Veronica gave Mrs. Heron another sweet smile, and in the nicest voice imaginable, she said, "We're both her moms, Karen! Go fuck yourself."

Mrs. Heron looked scandalized. "My name isn't Karen."

"She knows, Mom," Cady muttered. 

"Also, as someone who is friends with a very nice Karen, I feel the need remind everyone that not all of them are bad," Janis added. 

Cady shook her head. "Not the time, babe."

"Right. Sorry."

"How did such a bitch produce Cady?" Heather murmured in Janis's ear. 

"No clue," Janis whispered back.

Cady shot them a look that was halfway between grateful and annoyed. Then, turning back to her parents, she said, "You know what? Fine. You can come in. But only because I don't want my wife and mothers-in-law to have to listen to your homophobic comments. We are going to go have a civil conversation in the guest room. She turned on her heel and disappeared into the house. Mr. and Mrs. Heron hesitated, then followed her. 

Janis closed the door and turned to Heather and Veronica. "I'm just gonna..." she gestured to the room that the Herons had disappeared into. 

"Yeah," Veronica said with a nod. "We'll be in here."

Janis started toward the door, then glanced back at her moms. "I love you guys. You know that, right? What Cady's mom said-"

"We know," Heather said quickly. "We love you too."

Janis smiled and headed down the hall to eavesdrop.

* * *

"Cady, we have your best interests at heart-"

"No you don't! You just came here to judge me and my wife, who, by the way, is an incredible person, which you would know if you'd ever even tried to get to know her! But you never have, because you're too stuck in an idiotic tradition! You wouldn't even come to my fucking _wedding._ Do you have any idea how much that hurts? My best friend gave me away. And I love him, but it was supposed to be one of you!"

"Cady-"

"I'm not done! You have barely said two words to me in five years. Then you come marching into my home claiming that you have my best interests at heart and try to talk me out of adopting a child! But guess what? It's not your decision. And while I sure as hell didn't choose to be bisexual, but I did choose Janis. And I am choosing to take this next step with her. And I don't want to have to choose between that life and my fucking family. But you've made it abundantly clear that that's what needs to happen. So I chose. My mind has been made up for years. And I will not let you barge into my life, the life that I _love_ , and tell me that I made the wrong decision. Because if anything, that just makes me more sure that I made the right one." 

There was silence for a long moment. Janis could picture Cady glaring defiantly up at her parents, trying desperately not to let them see how much she was hurting. After a moment, Janis heard Cady mutter, "you should go," and pad over to the door.

Cady stepped out into the hall, not looking at all surprised to see Janis there. Wordlessly, Janis held out her arms, and Cady collapsed into them, finally breaking down into the tears Janis knew she'd been holding in since she'd first opened the front door.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Janis murmured into Cady's hair, letting a few tears of her own fall. "I'm so sorry, you're so brave, I love you, I'm sorry." Wrapping her arms around her trembling wife, she guided her gently into their bedroom and lay carefully down on the bed so that she could hold Cady in her arms. Cady's breath was coming in short gasps now, and Janis had been through enough of this sort of thing herself to know that Cady was having a panic attack. "Hey, hey, breathe," Janis said softly, grasping Cady's chin and tilting Cady's face up to look at her. "Do it with me," Janis said, gentle but firm. "One big breath. Good. Next one. Good. One more time. There you go," she kissed Cady's forehead.

"I'm sorry," Cady whispered miserably. "I'm a mess."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Janis pulled Cady closer until their foreheads were touching. "What you said in there was incredibly brave. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Cady smiled a little. "Were you eavesdropping the entire time?"

"Oh, yeah, one hundred percent."

Cady gave a watery giggle. Janis watched her nose scrunch up as she laughed, a warm feeling blooming in her chest.

"Do you want to talk about it more?" 

Cady shook her head. "No. No, I just want to... forget about it for a little while. Can we watch TV or something?"

"Of course." Janis kissed Cady's nose and reached for her laptop, pulling up an episode of _New Girl_. Cady snuggled comfortably into her side. 

Five minutes into the episode, Veronica's head appeared in the doorway, followed closely by Heather. "Are you guys watching _New Girl_ ?"

Janis nodded. 

"Mind if we join you?"

Cady patted the bed. The two older women smiled and took up places on the bed beside Janis. Veronica reached over and squeezed Cady's shoulder. The simple gesture almost brought Cady to tears again - Veronica was a much better mother to her than Mrs. Heron had ever been.

And speak of the devil, both Herons appeared in the doorway. Cady paused the show and looked up at them, surprised. 

"I thought you guys left."

"We were going to, but... what you said... you're right," Mrs. Heron said. "I can't say I fully understand this life you've chosen for yourself, but... I don't want you to have choose. So, if you'll let me - us," she amended, remembering that she had a husband. "We'd like to try to be part of your life. And we'd like to get to know Janis better, as well." Mrs. Heron looked Janis directly in the eye for the first time ever. 

"And we know you don't owe us anything," Cady's dad added. "And we can never really make up for all the ways we've hurt you. We were terrible parents. But we'd like to be better grandparents."

Cady glanced at Janis, a question in her eyes. Janis shrugged. _Up to you_ , she mouthed.

Cady took a deep breath and looked back at her parents. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Why don't you start right now?" she pointed to the empty spot on the bed beside her. "Come watch _New Girl_ with us."

Mr. and Mrs. Heron looked at each other, then shrugged and sat down beside their daughter. Cady smiled at them and snuggled closer to Janis, watching carefully to gauge their reaction. Mrs. Heron was watching Janis's face, the way it lit up when Cady was close to her. 

"Yeah," Mrs. Heron murmured, half to herself, half to Cady. "I think we can manage this."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter! i can't believe i'm finally done with this thing

**July 22nd,** **2019**

The first time Janis and Cady saw their daughter, they both cried. It had been over a year of planning, researching, and filling out paperwork, but when the baby girl was finally in her mothers' embrace, Janis knew it had all been worth it. 

"Hi, Emma," Janis whispered softly as her daughter gazed up at her with big brown eyes not unlike Janis's own. They'd decided to name her after Cady's cousin, the only person in Cady's entire family that had come to their wedding. 

They should have slept on the plane ride home, but instead, both women stayed awake and marveled at the way Emma's eyelids fluttered when she dreamt. 

"What do you think she's dreaming about?" Cady asked softly. She was curled up next to Janis, her head resting on her wife's shoulder as Janis cradled the baby. 

"She's dreaming about how amazing her life with her new lesbian moms is going to be," Janis whispered back.

"I'm bi. And I'm pretty sure her brain isn't developed enough to understand what's happening to her yet."

"Shut up, she's a genius."

Cady laughed. "And you didn't want kids."

"That's not what I said."

"Really? Because that's how I remember it."

" _No,_ I said I didn't want a bunch of obnoxious brats running around my house, and then you said there didn't have to be a bunch, just one, and she wouldn't be obnoxious if we raised her right, and I said fine but I refuse to get knocked up."

"Ah, yes, now I'm remembering." Cady smiled into Janis's jacket. "Are you happy?"

Janis kissed the top of Cady's head. "Yes. This moment makes the top five list of the happiest moments of my life."

"What are the other four?"

"Kissing you for the first time, proposing to you, our wedding day, and the first time I ate Damian's grandma's lasagna."

Cady gave her a look. "Lasagna? Really?"

"Clearly you never tried it. It was fucking heaven, I swear."

Cady covered Emma's ears. "Watch your fucking language, bitch."

Janis laughed, then looked down at her wife. "What about you? Are you happy?"

Cady sighed contentedly, laying a hand over Emma's tiny one. "Yes," she said simply.

* * *

They'd been home for less than an hour when Damian burst into their apartment, demanding to see his "niece".

"Damian," Janis groaned. "It's like midnight."

"It's eleven fifty-two, and y'all didn't call when you landed like you promised you would, so I had no choice but to show up here and make sure that you were alive."

Cady wandered into the living room, holding Emma. "Damian, go home to your boyfriend."

"Husband. And not before I see my niece."

Cady sighed and held Emma out to him. "Be gentle."

Damian squealed and took Emma into his arms. "She's so cute," he cooed.

Janis and Cady smiled at each other as Damian cradled their daughter. "I love you," Cady whispered.

Janis wrapped an arm around Cady's shoulders. "I love you too."

Damian passed Emma back to Cady. "I'm going to spoil her so bad."

Cady rolled her eyes. "You and Janis both. I'm going to be the only responsible adult around."

"Regina," Damian pointed out. "She's been forty since she was seventeen."

"But can you imagine her around children?" Janis shuddered. 

Cady smirked up at her. "We used to say the same thing about you."

Janis gasped in mock offense. "Rude."

The three friends chatted for a long time before Cady excused herself to go put Emma to bed. Janis watched her go, a faint smile on her lips.

Damian gave Janis a long look. "I'm really happy for you, you know."

Janis sighed contentedly. "Thanks, Dam."

"If only your eighth grade self could see you now, huh?" He nudged her shoulder gently. Janis chuckled.

"She'd probably be like 'ew, feelings, gross'."

Damian rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. You never expected this, did you?"

Janis shrugged. "No. I didn't think... well, I couldn't possibly have predicted her. Cady, I mean. Don't tell Regina I said this, but she did me a giant favor when she helped us get together."

"Pretty sure Regina already knows that, but okay."

Janis shook her head, smiling. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Damian kissed her on the cheek. "Alright, I'd better go home. I love you."

"Love you too." Janis waited until Damian was out the door, then crept softly into her and Cady's room. Cady was sprawled on the bed, asleep, Emma curled up on her chest. Janis smiled to herself and gently pulled a blanket over the sleeping girls. She climbed into bed beside Cady and switched off the light. She placed a hand over Emma's tiny back and let the soft rhythm of her daughter's breathing lull her to sleep.


End file.
